Twin facilities for Tata zoo visitors

Baby care room, dispensary to come up by year-end

Jamshedpur: Tata Steel Zoological Park in Bistupur is all set to take a major step in making the animal planet a visitor-friendly place.

The zoo management has decided to set up a room to help mothers feed their children. The room, which will come up near the zoo entrance, will be further equipped with an attached toilet, seating facilities and first-aid equipment.

Tata zoo director Bipul Chakravarty said often mothers faced inconvenience in feeding their children inside the zoo. "The baby care room will give privacy to mothers who can feed their babies at ease. We intend to help mothers nurse their babies without any hassle," he added.

Besides the baby care room, the management will set up a small dispensary to meet emergencies inside the 37-hectare zoo.

"The dispensary will come to rescue in case of any emergency. We will also tie up with Tata Main Hospital to rope in their doctors and nurses," added Chakravarty, a former scientific officer at Central Zoo Authority (CZA).

The dispensary will have a first-aid box, stretchers, oxygen cylinders and emergency medicines. "Baby-care room and dispensary exist in most of the zoos across the country. We are trying to move towards that direction," Chakravarty added.

On when the two facilities would come up, the zoo director said they had sent a proposal in this regard to Jamshedpur Utility and Services Company (Jusco). "The twin facilities will be set up after Jusco gives a nod. Both the baby-care room and dispensary are expected to come up within this year," he added.

Cafeteria, toilets, drinking water, boating and knowledge centre are some of the visitor-friendly facilities present on the zoo premises. Over 2,000 visitors flock to the zoo on weekends and during festivals to spent some quality time with their families and watch the antics of over 400 animals of different species.